Equality outcomes and mainstreaming report 2017

Introduction

The Scottish Government is clear in its commitment to ensuring that equality is considered as part of all that we do. It is not only desirable to do so but it is a legal responsibility. Policies, legislation and activities have to give due regard to the public sector equality duty and its three requirements:

• To eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010;
• To advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;
• To foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

There are real benefits in doing so - a more equal society, a more inclusive economy and more fulfilling lives for all the people of Scotland.

The public sector equality duty is a powerful tool to support public authorities to deliver services and policies which take account of the differences between us, which are not 'one size fits all' and which ensure that there are there are no barriers or discrimination that impede our ability to progress and achieve to our fullest potential.

There have been significant developments over the period of this report and we are making progress on equality. We provide some highlights in Part 1 of this report.

We have invested over £100 million since 2012 and are providing over £20 million of funding from the Equality Budget during 2016-17 to help promote equality and tackle discrimination.

And we have strengthened the duties on Scotland's public bodies and expect them to be more active in promoting and embedding equality in all they do.

We have recently launched A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People - over 90 cross-government commitments ranging from education and health to transport, which will go a long way in making life for disabled people in Scotland fairer. We firmly believe that disabled people's rights are human rights, and that human rights must apply to everyone.

We have set up a British Sign Language ( BSL) National Advisory Group to advise Scottish Ministers on the development of the first BSL National Plan. We are consulting on our BSL National Plan currently and will launch the plan in October 2017.

And we are investing record levels of funding to tackle violence against women. Alongside nearly £12 million per year since 2012 from the Equality Budget, in 2015 the First Minister announced an additional £20 million over three years would also be invested by the Scottish Government to help our commitment to tackle and eradicate all forms of violence against women.

Equally Safe is Scotland's strategy for preventing and eradicating all forms of violence against women and girls. We are continuing to work closely with key partners this year to implement this and are consulting on a delivery plan.

Domestic abuse is an abhorrent and inexcusable crime and in addition to funding, we have introduced a new domestic abuse offence to Parliament that will recognise psychological abuse as well as physical abuse and make us one of a handful of countries that will recognise this behaviour as criminal.

We have also published minimum quality standards for Gypsy Traveller sites run by social landlords, to be met by June 2018. We will review progress towards implementing the standards with site tenants, site providers and other key stakeholders, in 2017. And we have also published new guidance for local authorities on managing unauthorised sites by Gypsy Travellers, following visits, meetings, and discussions with Gypsy Travellers, the police, local authorities and others.

We have made clear our opposition to any move to repeal the Human Rights Act or to diminish equality protections in any way.

The Scottish Government has also welcomed refugees and asylum seekers and is doing all it can to ensure refugees have happy and productive new lives in Scotland.

There is absolutely no place for racism in Scotland and we are determined to show leadership in advancing race equality in Scotland. That is why we have published a Race Equality Framework, which has been developed to advance race equality and address the barriers that can prevent people from minority ethnic communities from realising their potential. We have also appointed a Race Equality Framework Adviser to be a 'critical friend' to Government and help us to advance race equality and tackle racism.

However, we know that we are still on a journey and that we have further to travel before reaching our goal. We have published a range of strategic plans to help us move forward and have identified a number of specific outcomes that we will work to achieve in the period 2017- 2021. We will provide our first report on the progress being made towards these outcomes in April 2019.

As detailed in our Equality Outcomes and Mainstreaming Report 2015 ( http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/04/7781), Scotland is an increasingly diverse country. The Scottish Government recognises the value of this increased diversity and the benefits that it brings to our economic, social and cultural life. One measure of how well Scotland is doing on equality is social attitudes. The Scottish Government has continued to fund the discrimination module of the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey over a number of years in order to chart our progress as a nation towards greater acceptance of difference.

Between 2002 and 2010, the overall pattern shown in these surveys was one of little or no change in the majority of discriminatory attitudes measured. Two notable exceptions to this were that discriminatory attitudes towards gay people and lesbians declined, and there was an increase in discriminatory attitudes towards Muslims.

Changes between 2010 and 2015 showed a very different pattern. The predominant trend was one of discriminatory attitudes declining - across a wide range of measures, and towards all equality groups.

The decrease in discriminatory attitudes between 2010 and 2015 was seen across all groups in Scottish society.

As one of our equality outcomes for 2013 - 17 was a reduction in discrimination experienced by Gypsy Travellers, we were particularly pleased to see that attitudes have shifted positively in relation to these communities. That is not, however, to suggest that we have succeeded in eliminating discrimination towards Gypsy Travellers as that is clearly not the case. Much further work is required to ensure that they receive access to services and opportunities on the same basis as others and the strategic programme of work on Gypsy Traveller issues which the Scottish Government will publish during 2017 will help to focus activity on those areas which require further attention.

General attitudes to prejudice

Decrease in the proportion who would prefer to live in an area where most people are similar to them, suggesting a greater acceptance of diversity

Decrease since 2010 in the proportions who think that the following groups take jobs away from other people in Scotland

Discriminatory attitudes towards different groups

General decrease in proportions saying they'd be unhappy about a close relative marrying someone from each of the following groups (though no significant decrease in relation to someone who experiences depression)

Decrease since 2010 in proportions saying the following are unsuitable as primary school teachers

Increase in the proportion who think sexual relations between two adults of the same sex are 'not wrong at all

Equal opportunities and positive action

Decrease since 2010 in people thinking that attempts to promote equal opportunities for the following groups in Scotland have 'gone too far'

No change in proportion thinking it's wrong to make people retire just because they have reached a certain age.

No change in proportion thinking it's wrong to make people retire just because they have reached a certain age.